Lancome French Paradise Blush Subtil Crème Review, Swatches and Photos

Lancome recently had a Friends and Family sale, so I picked up a few new things that I thought looked interesting. I was excited to try their new LE Blush Subtil Crème for Summer 2015, as I had read that it had a solid mousse texture similar to Colour Pop products.

I ordered Corail Alizé 01, but due to a packing mistake, I ended up with Rouge Mistral 03. When I unpacked my parcel, I was pretty disappointed considering that Rouge Mistral was the one colour out of the three I was entirely not interested in. To their credit, Lancome's customer service offered me a full refund with no hassle.

Photos in natural light, swatches on NC 40 skin.

Lancome Blush Subtil Crème in Rouge Mistral 03

So I have Rouge Mistral 03 for review. Rouge Mistral is described by Lancome as "a dapper red for the most seductive flush-cheeked look." In the pot it looks like a medium dark warm (orange) toned red with ultra fine, subtle golden shimmer throughout. On my skin, Rouge Mistral's orange tones are emphasized and the result is a deep red coral shade with a luminous satin finish.

Lancome Blush Subtil Crème in Rouge Mistral 03

Before I had purchased this product, I did some research online and found only two reviews, both of which commented on how similar all three colours of Blush Subtil Crème were when swatched (Corail Alizé 01, Brise Rosée 02 and Rouge Mistral 03, swatches of all three on My Darling Clementine and A Beauty Junkie in London.) Having swatched and used Rouge Mistral (but not having seen the other two colours in person) I'm likely to agree. Though Rouge Mistral is definitely red, it pulls orangey on me, so the overall effect is red-coral. Considering that Lancome describes Corail Alizé as " a luminous coral, subtly enhanced by tiny golden pearl pigments," one can see how interchangeable those descriptions could be!

The formula of the product is described as an "oil-free powder formula [that is] is non-greasy and non-sticky for a featherweight effect on skin... the Blush Subtil Crème formula contains no opaque base, to ensure truly vibrant colour and workable, made-to-measure intensity." The texture of the product is very silky, and has a cream-to-powder finish which is neither greasy or dry. The product has very intense pigmentation, so a light handed application is a must unless you want to look sunburnt! Like a cheek stain, this blush is transparent after being blended and fuses completely with the skin's texture. Again like a cheek stain, this product is a little tricky to blend, so it would be best to apply with a lightweight duo fibre brush or proceed sparingly with the fingers blending onto well moisturized skin.

I do believe the product lives up to Lancome's technical claims, and I like that they formulated this with "no opaque base" which gives the colours purity. I do think that the lack of opaque or white pigments in the product is what contributes to all three shades looking very similar though. Wear time is very good with only a little fading after a full day of wear.

Grade: B+